Elections & Voting

• Montgomery County Wide Officials & Circuit Judges
• Montgomery County Board Members
• Montgomery County Township Officials
• Montgomery County Multi-Township Officials
• Municipal Officials
• Democrat Precinct Committeepersons
• Republican Precinct Committeepersons
• State and Federal Elected Officials

Early Voting allows voters to cast their ballot before the observed Election Day by coming in-person to the Montgomery County Clerk’s Office. (Regular polling places located throughout the county are only open for voting on the observed Election Day.)

The Montgomery County Early Voting Center is located in the basement of the Historic Montgomery County Courthouse. To access the Early Voting Center, please use the west side ADA accessible entrance.

Montgomery County Clerk & Recorder
#1 Courthouse Square
Hillsboro, IL 62049-0595

For a schedule of Early Voting dates, see “Important Dates, Grace Period & Vote By Mail”.

You cannot be mailed a ballot to vote early. If you would like to vote by mail, please see the “Vote By Mail Application & Guidelines”. The ballot you receive when voting is the same whether voting by mail, voting early, or voting at your polling place on Election Day. If you vote early, you cannot vote again on Election Day at your polling place

A link to our Vote By Mail Ballot Application and Guidelines is here:

• Vote by Mail Ballot Application and Guidelines

To register to vote or check your registration status, visit https://ova.elections.il.gov.

Who is qualified to vote by mail?

If you are registered* to vote in Montgomery County, Illinois, you are eligible to cast a vote by mail ballot.

As of January 1, 2010, no excuses are necessary for you to vote by mail.

*If you registered by mail without providing identification and will be voting for the first time, you are not eligible to vote by mail. You may vote in-person at the County Clerk’s Office or may vote early.

In addition, the following unregistered voters are eligible for a vote by mail ballot:

Members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine and their spouses and dependents whether serving in the United States or abroad;
U.S. citizens and their spouses or dependents, whose permanent residence is in Montgomery County but who will be temporarily residing abroad on Election Day;
U.S. citizens (not their spouses or dependents) who maintained a residence in Montgomery County immediately prior to their departure from the United States.

The vote by mail balloting process:

1. 1. Get an application for vote by mail ballot or contact the County Clerk’s office by phone at: (217) 532-9530, and an application will be sent to you
   2. Fill out and send application for vote by mail ballot to the County Clerk’s office by mail
   3. Receive vote by mail ballot packet
   4. Return vote by mail ballot packet*
   5. Ballot ready to be processed by County Clerk staff on or before Election Day.

*Vote by mail ballot packets must be complete. They are often returned because the application is not signed, the application is not included, no signature on certification envelope, ballot not in certification envelope.

1. Confirm that you are registered? Registration Check

2. Download the Vote By Mail Ballot Application Guidelines and Form
(You need an Application for Vote By Mail Ballot.)

The Montgomery County Clerk’s Office will need your name, residence address, mailing address and date of birth at the time of request. After we receive your application, a packet with the ballot, Instructions for Voting by Mail Ballot, certification envelope and a return mailing envelope will be mailed to you. Our office will not mail ballots more than 40 days or less than five days prior to the election.

When you get the vote by mail ballot packet, follow all instructions on how to vote and return the ballot to the County Clerk’s office. Your vote by mail ballot must be postmarked by midnight on the day before the election and received within 14 days after the election.

If you personally deliver to the County Clerk’s Office, the ballot must be received no later than Election Day by 7pm when polls close.

Personal Delivery of My Ballot

A spouse or direct relative (parent, child, brother or sister) can deliver your vote by mail ballot to the Montgomery County Clerk’s Office ONLY IF you fill out the following authorization form for personal delivery:

• Vote by Mail Ballot Delivery Authorization Form

Military/Overseas Voters*

Members of the Uniformed Services and their family members or U.S. citizens residing overseas whose last known address is in Montgomery County and wish to vote by mail may do so by completing and mailing an FPCA (Federal Post Card Application)* to Montgomery County Clerk’s Office, P.O. Box 595, Hillsboro, IL 62049-0595. By completing this application, you will automatically be sent a vote by mail ballot for elections held in that calendar year.

Click here for more information and the FPCA form.

How do we process a voter’s vote by mail ballot?

1. The voter fills out the application and sends it to us.
2. We enter the vote by mail application into the voter registration system.
3. We send the voter the vote by mail ballot packet with instructions.
4. The voter votes the ballot and seals it in the ballot certification envelope.
5. The voter provides the sealed ballot envelope to us with applicable affidavits in the mail envelope provided.
6. We receive the mail envelope and log receipt in the voter registration system.
7. Either County Clerk staff or Election Judges open the sealed ballot envelope and verify voter’s signature.
8. The ballot is fed into a Ballot Tabulator.
9. After the polls close on Election Day the vote by mail ballots are tabulated.
10. Preliminary vote by mail ballot results are reported to the public as part of the precinct results after the polls close on Election Night.

Montgomery County Residents who miss the deadline to register to vote may vote as a Grace Period Voter by following these guidelines:

1. Bring proper ID in-person to the Montgomery County Clerk’s Office and register to vote. (See the “Important Dates, Grace Period & Vote By Mail” for specific dates.)
2. Then, VOTE AT OUR OFFICE AT THE SAME TIME AS REGISTRATION.

• Note: In order to grace period vote, all voters MUST show a photo ID with current address. If the photo ID does not have the current address, the voter must ALSO bring a piece of mail sent to them at the new address within the last 30 days. Whether the voter is registering for the first time, changing their address, or changing their name, ALL Grace Period Voters must bring their photo ID and piece of mail if their photo ID does not have their current address.

If you are planning to cast your ballot on Election Day, you must do so at your designated polling place. Your voter registration card lists your township, precinct number and location of your polling place.

• Montgomery County Churches/Polling Places Notice

If you need assistance determining your polling place, you can go to the: Illinois State Board of Elections website and search for your polling place by typing in your name and zip code. This will determine if you are registered to vote and if so, will display your polling place’s name and address. Or you may call our office for assistance (217) 532-9530.

Or Download A Copy Of ALL The Polling Places In Montgomery County.

OpenElect FreedomVote Tablet (FVT)
FVT demonstration video

The OpenElect FreedomVote Tablet (FVT) is a ballot marking device that prints paper ballots that are counted in the same tabulators as other paper ballots. The FVT exceeds the voting requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by offering state-of-the-art features. Voters can navigate the ballot via the tablet’s intuitive touchscreen technology and an audio presentation. It offers a sophisticated text-to-speech engine and the enhanced interface is easy to use and suitable for voters of all ages and skill levels.

The Election Judges initiate a voting session by scanning an initialization barcode underneath the FVT’s barcode reader for voters. The voters mark their ballot choices on a 13.3-inch touchscreen display. A “review page” gives them the opportunity to check their choices and correct mistakes. Upon acceptance, voters print their ballots and take them to the OVO where they are scanned, counted and cast.

The FVT facilitates special needs voters through a variety of methods including wheelchair access, Help America Vote Act (HAVA)-compliant keypad and sip-n-puff, expanded font function, and audio assistance for the visually impaired.

Eligible Write-in Candidates are provided for when authorized by the jurisdiction. Voters input candidates’ names via the HAVA-compliant keypad, touchscreen or sip-n-puff device.

Voting Equipment Information and Letter per 10 ILCS 5/1-17.

Montgomery County uses paper, optical scan style, ballots and voting tabulator machines, which scan and tabulate the ballots cast.

Unisyn Voting Solutions: OpenElect – OVO demonstration video

The OpenElect Voting Optical Scan (OVO) is a Precinct-level, full-age, dual-sided optical scan ballot system that scans and validates voters’ ballots and provides a summary of all ballots cast. The Election is loaded from the OVS Election Server via a USB thumb drive. On Election Day, an OVO at each Polling Place scans and validates voters’ ballots and provides Precinct tabulation and reporting. The OVO unit is also paired with the FVT (OpenElect FreedomVote Tablet) to scan and tabulate voting ballots. OVO units can also be used at the Montgomery County Clerk’s office to read Vote by Mail and Provisional ballots. The OVO consists of the following components: a Personal Computer (PC), Transport Media, Ballot Reader, Printer and an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).

Voting Instructions:

• Please use the pen provided in the voting booth.
• When voting, it is important to DARKEN THE OVAL COMPLETELY next to the name of the person for which you want to cast your vote. (DO NOT use an “x”, a check mark, or circle the candidates name, these types of marks may not be properly tabulated.)
• If you are voting for a write-in candidate, be sure to darken the oval next to the write-in candidate line, then write in the name of the candidate.
• To know how many candidates can be selected for each race, be sure to read the instructions on your ballot, to insure that you do not “overvote” (vote for more candidates than allowed).
• If you make a mistake, ask the election judge for a new ballot and one will be provided.
• If you believe you have received an incorrect ballot or have questions, PLEASE ASK THE ELECTION JUDGE BEFORE YOU CAST YOUR VOTE AND PLACE YOUR BALLOT INTO THE VOTE TABULATOR. Once your ballot has been tabulated, you can not be given a new ballot.
• If you have a question or problem with casting your ballot, please ask your election judge for assistance.

The Illinois State Board of Elections has an excellent website for State and Federal candidates. This site was designed specifically for candidates.

If you have questions about running for a local office or you cannot find the answers to your questions, please feel free to contact us at: Phone: (217) 532-9530.

ELECTION JUDGES

Election Judges help to guarantee that voter rights are protected during an election. Election Judges are commissioned as officers of the Circuit Court and must take an oath to uphold the constitutions of the United States and the State of Illinois in the performance of their duties. Election Judges ensure every American qualified to vote is allowed to vote and every American allowed to vote is qualified to vote only once.

The following information discusses the qualifications necessary to become an election judge, and some of their important duties and responsibilities, as well as how to become an election judge.

How do I qualify to be an election judge?

To be an election judge you must be:

• A citizen of the United States and entitled to vote at the next election or be a high school junior/senior in good standing enrolled in a Montgomery County public, community college or private secondary school. (High school juniors/seniors must have parental/principal consent to be assigned as an Election Judge.)
• Of good repute and character
• Able to speak, read, and write the English language
• Skilled in the four fundamental rules of arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)
• Of good understanding and capable to perform his/her duties
• Neither a candidate for any office at the election, nor an elected precinct committeeperson
• Currently residing and registered to vote in Montgomery County

Is there training for being an election judge?

Training to be an election judge is provided by the Montgomery County Clerk’s Office. Training is valid for a two-year period. It provides an overview of the legal and procedural requirements, as well as hands-on experience processing a voter. Prospective or current Election Judges who attend Election Judge Training are paid for attending the training. Registration is required. Call (217) 532-9530 for more information.

Are election judges paid?

Judges who have not attended training earn $185.00 for each election served. Judges who participate in training before each election receive $205.00 for each election served. Additional pay can be earned for taking on extra responsibilities before and on Election Day. Election judges DO NOT receive W-2 forms for income tax purposes. (See Pay Rate Schedule below)

Pay Rate Schedule for Montgomery County Election Judges:

Base Pay $185.00

Judges Who Maintain “Trained” status $20.00

(each election)

Mileage to training, pickup, & return of ballots .67/mile

Ballot Pick Up Judge $6.00

Ballot Return Driver $6.00

Ballot Return Passenger $4.00

Nursing home voting before Election Day** $65.00

** Nursing home judges must also serve Election Day

What about party affiliation?

Election Judges at each voting site represent the two major political parties. When five judges are required, three judges of the same political party serve. When three election judges are required, only two of the same political party serve.

How are Election Judges selected?

In the spring of even-numbered years, the County Board approves Election Judges from certified lists furnished by the Montgomery County Central Committee Chairman for each party. All judges are designated as either regular or alternate. For each precinct, three judges are appointed from one party and two from the other.

In Montgomery County, which is under the jurisdiction of the County Clerk, the party which casts the highest average number of votes in the three most recent gubernatorial elections in the precinct shall be represented by three judges; the party which casts the second highest number of votes at the three most recent gubernatorial election in the precinct shall be represented by two judges. After selections are made, the lists are submitted to the Circuit Court for comment. If no objections are filed, an application is made for their commissioning to serve as an Election Judge for a two year term.

How will I know if I am to serve?

All regular judges who indicate availability to their respective party representative before each election within the availability deadline will receive a scheduling notice from the Montgomery County Clerk to attend training and serve as an Election Judge. When regular judges are not available to serve, alternate judges who are available are scheduled to serve.

How are Election Judges trained?

In each precinct, all judges are encouraged to be certified as having satisfactorily completed a training course for judges of election within the past six months. This required course covers the duties and responsibilities of election judges and knowledge of election laws governing the operation of the polling place.

Please contact us to become an election judge! Email us at countyclerk@montgomerycountyil.gov or call us at (217) 532-9530. We look forward to working with you!

Updated Maps after the 2022 Election and 2020 Census

2020-2030 Montgomery County District Charts
County Board Districts Map and Precinct List
State & U.S. District Maps
Community College District Map
Lincoln Land Community College Election District Map

GIS Maps
For the following maps please visit the GIS section:
Detailed Map of County Board Districts
County Wide Precinct Map with Polling Places (Called Election Polling Place Flyer. Please note that there are TWO pages to this document,
and you will need to click on both the front and back links to see both sides.)
Individual Precinct Maps

• Electioneering Boundaries for Early Voting Center